Interim govt to leave funds for new pay scale

The interim administration will keep budgetary provisions for implementing the new pay scale for public employees, even though the task itself will fall onto the next elected government, said Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

A committee will be formed to review the pay commission recommendations, he said while speaking to journalists at the Secretariat after a meeting of the government purchase committee on Tuesday.

The Ninth National Pay Commission submitted its report in the third week of last month, recommending raises by up to 142 percent.

An additional Tk 1.06 lakh crore will be required annually to fully implement the new wages proposed by the commission. The amount would be on top of the Tk 1.31 lakh crore the state already spends on 14 lakh employees and nine lakh pensioners.

The proposed increase alone is roughly 2.5 times the entire national health budget for the current fiscal year.

Asked what assurance there was that the next government would act on the recommendations, Ahmed said they would leave behind both the funds and the proposals.

“I hope it will be implemented successfully.”

Responding to a question on why the government was not issuing a gazette notification immediately in line with the pay commission proposals, he said the process was not straightforward.

“To issue a gazette, you have to clearly mention who will get how much. In short, we are leaving behind a committee to implement these recommendations.”

The finance adviser was also asked about election-related spending ahead of the February 12 polls, including the cost of holding a referendum on the same day.

“I don’t know about that,” he said.

“But we have not been inconsiderate about ensuring a fair election. Whatever money was asked for, we gave. Even when some extra money was requested, I said I would provide that too,” said the adviser.